BRUSSELS, March 21,–Members of the
European Parliament have welcomed a new law in Portugal for transgender
persons, but have expressed concern over a proposal to outlaw gender
reassignment surgery in Lithuania.

On March 16,
the new law establishing procedures for change of name and sex in the civil
register came into force in Portugal. This
new law does not require divorce, sterilisation, hormonal treatment or
surgery to officially change gender, while a medical diagnosis will remain
necessary.

The new law is fully in line with the Yogyakarta
Principles, a set of authoritative guidelines for the application of
internal human rights standards in the field of gender identity and sexual
orientation.

“I am proud that colleagues in Lisbon ended the legal
uncertainty surrounding gender reassignment procedures,” commented Rui
Tavares, Member of the European Parliament from Portugal and
a vice-president of the LGBT
Intergroup, commented.

“Portugal keeps leading the way as a progressive
country for LGBT people in Europe, and transgender citizens can now benefit
from one of the most progressive laws in the world.”

In contrast, on March 8 Members of Parliament in
Lithuania tabled a proposal to outlaw gender reassignment surgery.

The bill proposed by Antanas Matulas MP, Chairman of
the Committee on Health Affairs, would prohibit doctors and surgeons from
performing gender reassignment operations. This
would constitute an insurmountable obstacle for transgender persons in the
country.

“Some Lithuanian Members of Parliament make it sound as
if they are under siege by transgender people, when all they need is
accessing essential healthcare to protect their human dignity,” said Raül
Romeva i Rueda, an MEP from Spain and a vice-president of the LGBT
Intergroup

“How the European Union can intervene is currently
unclear, but we will use of our mandate to the greatest possible extent to
stop this ban from becoming law,” he added.

The LGBT Intergroup for LGBT Right will continue
monitoring developments in Lithuania regarding gender reassignment
procedures, legal recognition of transgender people’s identities, and
freedom of expression.